FCC Provides Sneak Peek at Broadband Plan

Details about the Federal Communications Commission's nationwide broadband plan have been trickling out over the past month or so, but with one day left before the entire plan will be unveiled, the commission provided a six-page glimpse into their efforts  a plan that includes providing 100 million people with 100 Mbps by 2020.

Details about the Federal Communications Commission's nationwide broadband plan have been trickling out over the past month or so, but with one day left before the entire plan will be unveiled, the commission provided a six-page glimpse into their efforts  a plan that includes providing 100 million people with 100 Mbps by 2020.

"The national broadband plan is a 21st century roadmap to spur economic growth and investment, create jobs, educate our children, protect our citizens, and engage in our democracy," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said in a statement. "It's an action plan, and action is necessary to meet the challenges of global competitiveness, and harness the power of broadband to help address so many vital national issues."

Last year's stimulus bill called on the FCC to deliver a plan for nationwide broadband to Congress by February 2010. Faced with mountains of data collected during public meetings, open comment periods, and blog post comments, however, the commission requested and was granted a month-long extension, and the final product was delivered to Congress on Monday morning.

The full report will be made public on Tuesday, the FCC said, but until then, the commission has provided a six-page overview of what is contained in the document, titled "Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan."

What will it take to connect America? The actual plan is expected to be hundreds of page long, but the FCC this morning highlighted seven main goals it hopes to reach by 2020.

First up is providing 100 million households with affordable access to broadband with speeds of 100 Mbps. At this point, 200 million Americans have access to broadband in their homes, up from 8 million in 2000. But 100 million people lack broadband for a variety of reasons, with 14 million not being able to access it even if they wanted to.

The FCC also wants to provide 1 gigabit per second at "anchor" institutions like schools, libraries, and government buildings.

The commission also said it wants to encourage competition by collecting market-by-market information on broadband pricing, develop pricing and performance disclosure requirements for broadband service providers, and change rules to ensure an innovative set-top box market.

Accessing the Web on mobile has gained in popularity, but with limited spectrum, it's a crowded space. The FCC's plan would free up 500 MHz of spectrum for broadband over the next 10 years, 300 MHz of which would be dedicated to mobile by 2015.

The commission also wants to increase the nation's broadband adoption rate from 65 percent to 90 percent, extend the Universal Service Fund to broadband, promote greater transparency among Internet service providers, and create a broadband-based public safety network for first responders.

"In every era, America must confront the challenge of connecting the nation anew," said Blair Levin, executive director of the Omnibus Broadband Initiative at the FCC. "Above all else, the plan is a call to action to meet that challenge for our era. If we meet it, we will have networks, devices, and applications that create new solutions to seemingly intractable problems."

New networks, devices, and applications are no good, however, if you don't have a network on which to operate them. That is why spectrum has been such a big part of the debate. In late February, the FCC said that part of its broadband plan would let broadcast television stations sell some of their spectrum for mobile broadband purposes.

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) was not initially excited by the prospect, encouraging options that did "threaten the future of free and local TV."

In a Monday statement, however, NAB executive vice president Dennis Wharton said that the group was "pleased by initial indications from FCC members that any spectrum reallocation would be voluntary," but NAB remains "concerned by reports today that suggest many aspects of the plan may in fact not be as voluntary as originally promised."

"We would oppose any attempt to impose onerous new spectrum fees on broadcasters," Wharton said, and encouraged the FCC to "conduct an inventory of all available spectrum" before proceeding.

Washington-based consumer group Public Knowledge said the spectrum policy "will help to drive innovation and consumer choice."

Shifting Universal Service to the Connect America Fund

The broadband plan would also revamp the Universal Service Fund (USF) to include broadband. The USF is a government fund created in 1997 intended to provide all Americans with access to telecom services, as well as Internet service in schools and libraries.

Since the majority of Americans now have access to phone service, the FCC's plan would create a Connect America Fund (CAF), which would shift $15.5 billion over the next 10 years from the USF to the CAF  essentially put phone funds toward broadband.

The USF wouldn't go away  the FCC's plan would broaden the contribution base to keep it (and CAF) alive. Currently, USF funds come from taxes on telecom companies that provide interstate services, like long-distance companies, local phone companies, wireless providers, as well as pager and payphone providers. The FCC didn't elaborate on who else might contribute to USF.

The FCC also reiterated plans for: a Mobility Fund, which would provide one-time support for states deploying mobile broadband networks; a Digital Literacy Corps, a publicly funded effort to provide skills training and outreach in neighborhoods with low rates of broadband adoption; and adding add broadband service to the FCC's Lifeline and Link-Up programs, which provides affordable telephone service to low-income residents.

The FCC also stressed that broadband adoption will help efforts on e-health, energy, e-government, and public safety.

Who is going to pay for this? Most of it would pay for itself via the spectrum auctions, the FCC said. "The vast majority of recommendations do not require new government funding; rather, they seek to drive improvements in government efficiency, streamline processes and encourage private activity to promote consumer welfare and national priorities."

Efforts that would require funding include the public safety network, deployment to un-served areas, and adoption efforts.

"The plan is in beta, and always will be," the FCC concluded. "Like the Internet itself, the plan will always be changing."

Responsibilities for the broadband plan will be split between the FCC, Congress, and the executive branch. In the immediate future, the FCC plans to publish a timeline of tasks it will undertake, as well as create a broadband data depository, which will serve as a public resource about the government's progress.

The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), which represents major cable and Internet service providers like Comcast and Time Warner Cable, said the FCC "should be commended for their efforts" on the plan.

"As with any report of this size, variety and complexity, we expect that we will have points of agreement and disagreement on specific issues," NCTA president and CEO Kyle McSlarrow said in a statement. "But the report makes a significant contribution to the dialogue, and we remain committed to working with all members of the commission in discussing new ideas and initiatives that will facilitate the ubiquitous availability and use of robust broadband networks."

Chloe Albanesius has been with PCMag.com since April 2007, most recently as Executive Editor for News and Features. Prior to that, she worked for a year covering financial IT on Wall Street for Incisive Media. From 2002 to 2005, Chloe covered technology policy for The National Journal's Technology Daily in Washington, DC. She has held internships at NBC's Meet the Press, washingtonpost.com, the Tate Gallery press office in London, Roll Call, and Congressional Quarterly. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from American University...
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